Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-09-28
VOLUNTEER VICTOR.
TIE YANKEE sLooP BEATS THE SCOTCH
CUTTER.
Fifty Thousand People witness the Con-
test-The Volunteer Shows Her
Superiority and Wins Easily.
fBy ,eIeeraph 10 the Dlspatch.l

the Volunteer beat the foreigner so
badly that the latter's most enthusiastic
champions have only to say that
something inexplainable is the matter
with the thistle. 1t was great
day. The people who went down on
800 steamships, river steamboats,, tugs,
steam yachts, sailing yachts, and boats
inpIovised for the occasion numbered
easily $1,000. and the scene presented
by the mass of craft before, at, and
after the start cannot be described.
They covered vast area, and they kept
mp noise throughout the race that
startled the people who came from Eu-
rope to witness the contest. Incessant
gun-fring and steam-whistling called
forth the widest kind of enthu-
siesm, which interfered with the
duties of the officials Of the race.
The great hctilla covered the ground
off O'Neil's Head in a way that made
it doubtful il decent start could be
made, while the elements indicated
"no race" From the early morning
there was TO sign of a breeze and
dirty haze hung over the water, indica-
tive of continuous thick atmosphere
and poor view of the race.
With favorable surroundings the race
would bave been started at 1870, but
at that hour there was not air enough
to blow match out and the judges on
Commodore Gerry's Electra waited to
start the racers until there should APP
pear o chance of getting the boats over
the course within the prescribed seven
hours.
CLEARING THE COURSE.
That appearance did not come until
noon. At that tine ripple came over
the water from the southwark and cast
ward and the signal was given to clear
the course. The Thistle and Volunteer
had come out from their respective
anchorages off Tompkinville, Staten
Island, and Bay Ridge, and were drift
ing about north Of the line that had
been formed between the Electra
and Buoy 1S opposite Owls Head
on the Long leland shore. The Thistle
soon began to move about in very
lively fashion in the light air. She APP
pesred to take much pleasure in run
ming past and around tho Volunteer,
which she did several times, and every
time met with loud appreciation from
the admiring spectators, all OF whom
seemed confident that she would, and
was willing if she could, win the first
race.
THE sTABT--THIsTLE AHEAD.
at 1920 the Electra fred the prepare
tory gun and at 1890 the gun to start.
Alter the latter the yachts had five
minutes to cross the line. If either
had taken longer than five minutes her
time Of start would have been register
cd at tie expiration of the five min
utes. The boats crossed as follows
Thistle, 1888. 06 Volunteer, 12:3i.55.
The Thistle not only had the nearer
| position when the order to start WIS
| given, but she also went through the
water faster so she got over the line
! minute and % seconds ahead.
Eight miles an hour the wind was then,
blowing from south southeast, and the
yachts had to sail close on the wind for
the first msrk-Buoy l0-on Southwest
| spit, which bore south by west three
and half miles away.
THE VOLUNTEER TO THE FRONT.
The yachts went over on the port
tack, and at once the Volunteer began
to overhaul the Thistle. The first tack
Was III toward Clifton, Staten Island,
and on that tack OF 10 minutes or less
the Volunteer showed superiority over
the Thistle in weather that had been
written down as the foreigners best.
! Lat left 10 doubt of the result. The
Volunteer went by the Thistle as
though the latter was anchored, and she
stayed in front TO the end.
The Thistle was more than little
bothered by excursion boats on that
first tack. Steamers crossed her bows
and gave her much Swssh, but after
that the steamers hung to the Volun-
ter leader, and throughout the rest OF
the day sho suffered three times at
least as much as the Thistle did from the
way they kicked up the water and shut
off the wind.
NOTHING But A PROCESSION.
II was no longer race 1t was pro
cession. The wind varied in locality
and strength. Ii shifted between south
east and southwest, and sometimes one
boat had it when the other did not;
but the average made things pretty
nearly even, and the result was a most
decisive victory for the American sloop.
Beating, stretching, and running with
free sheets, the Volunteer outsailed the
Thistle. On the run home she lost
ground largely on account Of the way
the accompanying craft blanketed
her
HOW THE COURSE WAS COVERED.
The first point, Buoy 10, was reached
on beat Buoy 81 was fetched on q
stretch, as was the Sandy Hook light
ship-the outer mark. From the light
ship back to Bouy 10 was beam wind,
and from their home to Buoy 10, of
Fort Wordsworth, it was a clean run be-
fore the wind with spinnakers set
| Total distance 50 statute miles. Every
where, except on the run with spinna
kers, where the excursion boats did so
much to keep the wind from her, the
Volunteer outsailed her antagonist. A
further description OF the race would
only be a repetition of the above.
The Volunteers finishing time was
5:GS. l6t and the Thistle's 5:l5.34t.
The THISTLE MEN NOT SATISFIED.
After the race James Bell, the prin-
cipal owner of the Thistle, said that he
was not at all satisfied with the result
The Thistle, he declared, had never
moved so slowly through the water
He was Of the opinion that there was
something wrong with the cutters
bottom and she would be hauled out
| of the water tomorrow with view to-
ward finding out what it was. He did
not consider that the race had been
sailed for that reason and because the
wind was so shifting. The Volunteer
often had the advantage OF a breeze
that the Thistle did not feel. Besides,
the excursion boats swashed the Thistle
TO damaging extent.
Captain Barr, OF the Thistle, held
the same views. lie said that some OF
tie crew had been notified anonymous
ly that the cutters bottom bad been
doctored," and the truth would be
asceltained before Tlursday-the day
Of the next race. Captain Barr said be
Lad sailed the Thistle every time she
bad been out, and he never knew her to
move so badly in the wind.